When a person or animal dies and needs to be transported, the remains are generally placed within a body bag or cadaver pouch. Transporting and securing the remains of deceased persons or animals presents numerous challenges. First, it is often necessary to conceal the remains from view. Second, care must be taken to prevent contact of the remains with the personnel transporting the same. Third, the body bag must be designed such that the remains can be easily inserted therein. Fourth, the body bag must be strong enough to facilitate lifting, moving, and otherwise carrying the remains.
Another complicating factor affecting body bag designs is the nature of deceased remains. Frequently fluids can leak from the remains. If they are allowed to escape the body bag, contamination of the surrounding environment or personnel can result. Further, leakage can weaken the construction of body bags, leading to compromised performance The fact that bacterial decay can be accelerated when remains are sealed within a bag further complicates designs.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a body bag that could be efficiently and cost-effectively manufactured while ensuring that one or more of the above functions are accommodated.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.